Illuminated panel



Marh 3l, 1936. H. A. THOMPSON ILLUMINATED PANEL 9 2 9 l 2 l C e D d e l .l F

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Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES ILLUIWINATED PANEL Howard A. Thompson, Edgewood Borough, Pa.,

assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 12, 1929, Serial No. 413,580

9 Claims.

My invention relates to illuminated panels, and particularly to panels in which a plurality of bulls-eyes or other similar devices located on the front of the panel are illuminated by means of light units located back of the panel.

One object of my invention is to provide means for transmitting light from the light units to the bulls-eyes vin such manner that each light unit may be located at a point remote from the associated bulls-eye, thereby enabling the use of smaller bulls-eyes, and permitting the closer spacing of bulls-eyes, than would be possible if each light unit were located directly back of the bulls-eye which it illuminates.

I will describe one form of illuminated panel embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of illuminated panel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the illuminated panel shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in both views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character A designates a panel, preferably of insulating material, which as here shown, is of the type customarily employed in railway signaling practice and which is usually termed a track model. This panel is provided with a diagram representing two parallel sections of railway track B--C and D-E connected by a crossover F. Panel A is also provided with a representation of the signals S and L which govern traiiic moving from right to left over the sections of railway track represented in Fig. 1.

Associated with the representation of section B-C on panel A is a bulls-eye I which may at times be illuminated, in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter, to indicate traic conditions in section B-C, and associated with the representation of section D-E is a similar bulls-eye 2 which serves a similar purpose. Two other bulls-eyes 3 and 4 are located on panel P at the right-hand end of the representation of crossover F, and two similar bulls-eyes 5 and 6 are located at the left-hand end of the representation vof crossover F. The bulls-eyes 3, 4, 5, and 6 serve to indicate the condition of the switches associated with crossover F and, as here shown, are made rectangular in order that they can be distinguished readily from the bulls-eyes which indicate trac conditions in sections B-C and D-E and which are round. By way of illustration, I will assume that bulls-eye 3 becomes illuminated when the switch at the right-hand end of crossover F is normal, that is, set for traic to proceed along section B-C past this switch, and that bulls-eye II becomes illuminated when this switch is reversed. In similar manner, I will assume that bulls-eye 5 becomes illuminated when the switch at the left-hand over crossover F is normal so that traffic can proceed along section D-E past this switch, but that bulls-eye 6 becomes illuminated when this latter switch is reversed.

The representation of signal S consists of a left-hand group J of bulls-eyes comprising three bulls-eyes 'I, 8 and 9, a middle bulls-eye I0, and a right-hand group K of bulls-eyes comprising two bulls-eyes II and I2. The representation of signal L comprises two bulls-eyes I3 and I4. Different ones of these bulls-eyes which make up the representations of the signals S and L may be illuminated in accordance with the different indications displayed by signals S and L.

For illuminating the bulls-eyes, I provide a plurality of light units each designated by the reference character P with an exponent corresponding to the reference character of the bullseye which it illuminates. These light units may be of any suitable type but, as here shown, they are all similar to the light unit P10 shown in Fig. 2. This unit comprises a receptacle 25 attached to a suitable support 23 and provided with an electric lamp 24 which may, for example, be a standard telephone switchboard lamp. The light units may be controlled in any suitable manner, forming no part of my invention, and therefore not shown in the drawing.

It is desirable that the bulls-eyes should be small and should be placed close together in order that panel A may be made as small as possible. With the commercial sizes of light units available, however, when the bulls-eyes are small and are placed close together, there is insuilicient room to mount the light units directly back of the bulls-eyes, as is ordinarily done, and I therefore propose to mount the light units at the most convenient location and to transmit light from the light units to the bulls-eyes by means of light transmitting members. For this purpose, I provide the panel A at each point where it is desired to locate a bulls-eye with a hole similar to the hole I9 shown in Fig. 2 and with a groove 20 which extends from such hole I9 to a point adjacent the associated light unit. The light transmitting members for each bullseye are mounted in the associated hole I9 and groove 20 and, as here shown, comprises three glass rods I5, I8, and I8, the outer surfaces of which with the exception of their ends are covered with light reflecting means such, for example, as the standard silver deposit commercially employed in mirrors. f

Each of the rods I5 and I8, as here shown,'is substantially L-shaped and, if desired, may be made similar for each bulls-eye to-be illuminated. The rods I6, however, will have different lengths depending upon the distance between the associated bulls-eye and light unit. The rods I5, I6 and I8, are held in place in the grooves 20 and holes I9 by an auxiliary panel N, fastened to the back of the panel A in any convenient manner, and provided with suitable holes which receive the legs l5b of the L-shaped rods I5. The light units are so arranged that the leg |5'? of the L-shaped rod I5 associated with each bullseye enters the receptacle 25 of the light unit P for that particular bulls-eye. It will be apparent therefore that when the lamp 24 of a light unit P is illuminated, light rays will enter the lower end of the leg I5b of the associated L-shaped rod I5.

The bulls-eyes may be separate members of any suitable type, which t into the holes I9 over the upper ends of the legs |8 of the L-shaped rods I8, or they may be formed directly on the ends of the legs |8 as'shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, they maybe either round or square, as pointed out hereinbefore, and, if desired, they may be provided with a plurality of light refracting prisms.

The operation of the light transmitting members I5, I6 and I8 will best be understood by referring particularly to the members I5, I6 and I8 which receive light from lamp 2| of the light unit P10 shown in Fig. 2. Here it will be seen that the light rays which enter the end of the leg |5b of the rod I5 associated with light unit P10 from the lamp 24 of unit P10 are transmitted through this leg l5b to a surface |5 which is normal to the bisector of the angle made by the axes of legs I5a and I5b of the rod I5 and passes through the point of intersection of such axes. Since the surface I5c is silvered, the light rays upon striking this surface are reflected along the axis of leg I5 as shown by the dotted line 2|. The deflected light rays then pass through the leg I5L of rod I5, straight rod I6, and leg Illb of rod I8, to the surface I8c of rod I8. This latter surface extends normal to the bisector of the angle lmade by the axes of legs I8El and I8b of rod I8 so that the light rays upon striking this surface are again reflected along the axis of leg |8. The light rays therefore lpass through leg llic of rod I8 to the associated bulls-eyes I6.

Under some conditions it is desirable to impart distinctive colors to the bulls-eyes, when illuminated, to aidv an operator in distinguishing between the diierent bulls-eyes. This may be done by coloring the bulls-eyes or any of the associated glass rods, but as here shown, I prefer to accomplish this result by means of color screens Il, one of which may be interposed between each straight -glass rod I6 and the leg I8b of the associated glass rod I8. y

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of illuminated panels embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. Apparatus for illuminating a small section of space which is of such size and in such close proximity to other similar sections of space that the direct application of a lamp to said section of space is impossible, said apparatus comprising a transparent glass rod having one end disposed adjacent said section of space and the other end located at a point remote from said section of space, and means for supplying light raysto said other end of said rod in such manner that said light rays will be transmitted through said rod to said section of space, the outer surface of said rod with the exception of its ends being covered with a silver deposit to form a light refleeting surface which aids the transmission of light rays through said rod.

2. Apparatus for illuminating a bulls-eye which is of such size and in such close proximity to other similar bulls-eyes that the direct application of a lamp to said bulls-eye is impossible, said apparatus comprising a source of light lo-l cated at a. point remote from said bulls-eye, a first transparent glass rod having one end adjacent said bulls-eye, and a second glass rod having one end receiving light rays from said source and the other end abutting against the other end of said irst glass rod, the outer surfaces of said glass rods with the exception of their ends being provided with light reflecting means arranged to aid the transmission of light through said rods.

3. Apparatus for illuminating a small section of space which is of such size and in such close proximity to other similar sections of space that the direct application of a lamp to said section of space is impossible, said apparatus comprising a source of light located at a point remote from said section of space, and one or .more transparent rods arranged end to end to form a continuous light path from said source of light to said section of space, each said rod being provided on its outer surface with the exception of its ends with light reflecting means for improving the transmission of light through the rod.

4. Apparatus for illuminating a small section of space which is of such size and in such close proximity to other similar sections of space that the direct application of a lamp to said section of space is impossible, said apparatus comprising a source of light located at a point remote from outer surface with the exception of its ends with light reflecting means for improving the transmission of light through the rod, and means for imparting a distinctive color to the light transmitted through said transparent rod or rods.

5. Apparatus for illuminating small sections of l space which are of such size and in such close proximity that the direct application of lamps thereto is impossible; said apparatus comprising a plurality of sources of light, one for each sec` tion to be illuminated, and each located at a point remote from the section of space for which said source is provided; and separate means for transmitting light from each source of light to the section of space for which such source is provided, each said means comprising a plurality of glass rods arranged end to end, each said rod being provided on all of its outer surfaces but its ends with light reflecting means for improving the transmission of light therethrough.

6. In combination, a panel provided with a u 2,085,998 track diagram corresponding to a railway track layout and with representations of switches and signals for governing traffic over said track layout, a plurality of bullseyes associated with each switch and signal and adapted to be selectively illuminated to indicate the condition of the associated switch or signal, said bullseyes being of such size and in such close proximity that the direct application of a lamp thereto is impossible, and means for illuminating said bulls-eyes comprising a plurality of sources of light, one forl each bulls eye to be illuminated, and each located at a point remote from the bulls eye for which such source is provided, and one or more glass rods associated with each source of light and arranged to form a continuous light path from such source of light to the bulls-eye for which such source of light is provided, each said rod being provided on its outer` surface with light reflecting means for improving the transmission of light through such rod.

7. A track model provided with a diagram of a portion of railway track, a plurality of bulls eyes carried by said track model and each when illuminated representingaI particular trafc condition With respect to said portion of track, saidv bulls eyes having such size and location that the direct application of a light source thereto is impossible, a plurality of light sources one for each bulls eye but located remote therefrom, and light conducting means interposed between each bulls eye and its associated light source.

8. A track model provided with a diagram oi' a portion of railway track, a plurality of bulls eyes carried by said track model and each when illuminated representing a particular traillc condition with respect to said portion o i track, said bulls eyes having such size and location that the direct application of a light source thereto is impossible, a plurality of light sources one for each bulls eye but located remote therefrom, and light conducting means formed of a transparent solid material interposed between each bulls eye and its associated light source and carried by said track model.

9. A track model provided with a diagram of a portion of railway track and having small areas each when illuminated representing a particular traillc condition with respect to said portion of track, said areas having such sizes and locations that the direct application of lamps thereto is impossible, a plurality of lamps all located remote from said areas, and glass light conducting means interposed between each such area and an associated one ot such lamps.

HOWARD A. THOMPSON. 

